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Alumni Update: December 13, 2016

Kearney, Neb. – Mario Lamoureux, the USHL’s all-time leader in regular season games played (266), scored a goal and recorded four points in two games this weekend for Austrian-based HC Innsbruck. In his second full season overseas, the former North Dakota Captain has ten goals and 22 points in 26 games.

Lamoureux missed four regular season games in four Storm seasons, 2004-08, and holds the Tri-City’s record for career assists (85), career points (129), and career penalty minutes (515). The 5-foot-9, 185-lb. forward took 23 fighting majors in his career and 11 during 2005-06. During Lamoureux’s last season, 2007-08, he did not have a fighting major, but his older brother, Pierre-Paul, took a single-season Storm record 244 penalty minutes. Pierre-Paul is now an Assistant Coach for the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels.

Here’s a look at some other top performances by Storm alumni over the past week.

AHLPheonix leading Chicago
Goaltender Pheonix Copley won both starts this weekend for the Chicago Wolves, making a combined 56 saves on 59 shots. The native of North Pole, Alaska is 5-3-1 with a shutout, 1.99 goals against average and .928 save percentage in nine games.

A Storm goalie in 2011-12, Copley made his NHL debut last season for the St. Louis Blues.

NCAA: Wayzata pride
Two natives of Wayzata, Minnesota, Wisconsin sophomore Matt Freytag and Dartmouth senior Grant Opperman, each scored their first goals of the NCAA season over the weekend.

Freytag (TC: 2014-15) scored the empty-net goal Saturday against Michigan to help Wisconsin split the weekend. Former Storm netminder Hayden Lavigne played in both games for the Wolverines, making 34 saves in victory on Friday.

Opperman played for the Storm from 2012-13, scoring 13 goals and 30 points in 58 games.

Wade Allison puts Western Michigan on his back
Western Michigan forward Wade Allison scored two goals Saturday, including the game-winner, and the #18 Broncos upset #8 North Dakota, 3-1. The 2016 Clark Cup MVP outdueled former Storm players and North Dakota skaters Austin Poganski, Chris Wilkie and Andrew Peski. Allison is second on Western Michigan with nine goals and 14 points.

Weekly Vecchione dominance
Former Storm player and Union senior Mike Vecchione remains the NCAA Division I’s leading scorer with 17 goals and 35 points in 17 games. Union defeated Yale and Brown over the weekend and Vecchione contributed a combined three assists and four points.

The Storm prepares for a 2016 Clark Cup Final rematch at Dubuque on Friday, December 16 (7:35 p.m.) and Saturday, December 17 (7:05 p.m.). Last playoffs, the Storm swept the Fighting Saints in the Final, capped off by a victory in front of a sell-out crowd May 20 at the Viaero Center. Coverage begins 15 minutes before puck drop with the Viaero Wireless Pregame Show on The Breeze 94.5 FM.

Following the holiday break, the Storm is at Lincoln on Wednesday, December 28 and hosts Des Moines for “Light the Night: Shining the Light on Child Abuse” on Thursday, December 29 at 7:05 p.m. Presented by Royal Family Kids, there will be a free postgame skate after the game.

On December 31, the Storm hosts an early New Year’s Eve Game, a 5:05 puck drop, against the Lincoln Stars on $1 Beer Night, presented by Bud Light. Party with the Storm against its rivals before the ball drops.